


Love In Bloom

by MayQueen517



Series: The Old Guard Tumblr Prompts [7]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: M/M, Nicky has ridiculously high standards for crime novels and crime shows, Post-Movie: The Old Guard (2020), Unbeta'd, because I am predictable, cross posted from tumblr, even more return to malta fic, he has OPINIONS and Joe always stares at him beaming, it's possible that Joe finds the worst ones just to hear Nicky rant about them, quoting Abu Nuwas at each other, tumblr cuddle meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:02:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26722603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayQueen517/pseuds/MayQueen517
Summary: ...in publicHe gets as close as he can in public, fitting their fronts together so that Joe can slip his face into Nicky’s neck, breathing in the scent of sun cream applied too long ago to make a difference. He can smell the salt of the ocean and the salt of Nicky’s skin, breathing deeply.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: The Old Guard Tumblr Prompts [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1944751
Comments: 8
Kudos: 119





	Love In Bloom

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AphroditesTummyRolls](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AphroditesTummyRolls/gifts).



> Prompted by my dear AphroditesTummyRolls! 
> 
> Title is from the Abu Nuwas poem that Joe and Nicky quote, which you can read [here!](https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/love-in-bloom-3/)

They spend the day at the beach, dipping into the ocean and retreating over the hot sand to sit on the blanket. Joe laughs when Nicky curses mutinously at the hot sand on his feet, his scowl wrinkling his forehead and Joe can’t help but kiss it.

Around them are the cries of the gulls, the roar of the waves, and the shrieking laughter of children. Nicky reads intently, as he has since Joe first watched him learn. Joe loves him with a fierceness that steals his breath and sometimes when Joe closes his eyes, the image before him blurs with a long memory and London. Joe tilts his head into the setting sun, scrunching his eyes before he turns to look at Nicky after hearing his soft laugh.

“You look deep in thought, my love,” Nicky says, stretching out to rest his back against the rocks where they’ve set up for the day. His skin is pink, a sure sign that he’s probably burned at least one other time before his skin heals. Joe laughs, stretching on his back, gazing over at Nicky.

“What are you reading?”

Nicky makes a face that has Joe laughing, “It is that crime novel you picked up in the shops. It is terrible.”

“Oh?” Joe asks, perking up. Nicky has high standards for crime novels, criticism on hand for each and every one and Joe never tires of seeing his face wrinkle in disgust.

To be fair, Joe never tires of Nicky.

“It is as if they expect the reader to need leading to the clues! It is predictable,” Nicky says, scoffing. Nicky waves the book around, warming to the subject.

“I am supposed to buy that this protagonist can just figure these things out by a few glances at the crime scene? Does he think he is Sherlock Holmes? Where is the procedure?”

“Maybe that would interrupt the narrative,” Joe suggests, squinting as Nicky scowls, dropping into a wave of incensed Italian that has Joe bursting with love. Joe lets him rant for a few more moments, falling in love with the beads of sweat at his hairline, with the mole on his cheek, and the frustrated gesturing more than ever before.

The beach has quieted a bit, a few couples like themselves around and Joe watches a family of two women and two small children, still shrieking in the surf with a smile. He looks back to Nicky, to the love of his life, as he plucks the book from Nicky’s hand. Joe dog-ears the page to Nicky’s wounded sound as Joe hauls himself into his love’s lap.

He gets as close as he can in public, fitting their fronts together so that Joe can slip his face into Nicky’s neck, breathing in the scent of sun cream applied too long ago to make a difference. He can smell the salt of the ocean and the salt of Nicky’s skin, breathing deeply.

Nicky wraps his arms around Joe, hugging him close as Nicky tilts his head to rest against Joe’s. Joe marvels at the peace that steals over him as he relaxes against Nicky, feeling his hands smoothing over his back.

“ _’I die of love for him, perfect in every way’_ ,” Joe murmurs, fingers carding through the short hair at the base of Nicky’s neck. Nicky takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he gently presses his lips to Joe’s shoulder. He holds his lips there and Joe has to hold Nicky closer at the prick of tears.

“ _‘How much time did your creation take, O angel? All I want is to sing your praises’_ ,” Nicky responds as Joe pulls back to beam at his heart. Nicky’s cheeks flush and Joe kisses them both, feeling the flutter of Nicky’s eyelashes.

“My favorite,” Joe murmurs, kissing Nicky’s lips just to taste him and feel his breath. Nicky kisses him harder as the sounds of people leave them with the cries of the sea birds and the ocean waves.

“I would sing your praises until the moon falls down, you know,” Nicky says, meeting Joe’s eyes. Joe wraps his arms around Nicky, nuzzling into Nicky’s jaw, pressing light kisses there.

“You have my heart for as long as this universe continues to expand,” Joe murmurs, enjoying Nicky’s closeness, banishing the memory of London with every beat of his love’s heart.

**Author's Note:**

> I am ALWAYS taking prompts over on Tumblr at [CactusDragon517](https://cactusdragon517.tumblr.com/) so please feel free to come leave me a prompt or just chat!!


End file.
